Research intersts
Molecular basis of neurological disorders amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Prader—Willi syndrome (PWS) and others.
• Function and regulation of RNA-binding proteins in ALS and FTD.
• Nuclear transport of RNA and proteins.
• Cellular stress response.
• RNA and protein interactomes.
• Structure and function of noncanonical DNA and RNA.
• Role of ncRNAs in neurodegeneration.
• Genetics of ALS and FTD.
• RNA-RNA interactome of snoRNAs associated with PWS.

Major scientific achievements
• Identified mutations in genes coding for TDP-43 and FUS in sporadic and familial ALS.
• Neuropathological characterization of TDP-43, FUS, optineurin and C9orf72 in ALS and/or FTD.
• Characterized RNA binding properties and nuclear transport of TDP-43 and FUS.
• Showed that mutant FUS has propensity to form stress granules.
• Defined phosphorylation of 526Y of FUS as important for mislocalization.
• Shown that the sense strand DNA of C9orf72 can form G-quadruplexes, while the antisense strand can form i-motifs/protonated hairpins.
• Characterized the proteins that bind to the sense strand of C9orf72 repeat RNA.
• Determined changes in microRNA associated with muscle atrophy in ALS.
• Lead of Slovenian section in international consortia for genetic characterization of ALS and FTD.
• Showed involvement of orphan snoRNAs in learning and memory.

Appointments:
2019- Head of Department of Biotechnology – Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2013- University teacher – Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
2011- Research group leader / Scientific consultant – Biomedical Research Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2011-2019 Scientific associate / Research group leader – Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2007-2011 Senior research associate / status of lecturer – Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK
2003-2007 Senior postdoctoral researcher – Dept. of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK
2000-2003 Research fellow – Dept. of Anatomy and Developmental Biology and Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, UK
1999-2000 Postdoctoral researcher – Dept. of Biochemistry and Mol. Biology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Major awards:
• 2019 Prestigious national Zois recognition for contribution to the development of science and research in the Republic of Slovenia in the field of molecular neurodegeneration.
• 2017 Lapanje award from Slovenian Biochemical Society for exceptional scientific, educational and professional achievements in the field of Biochemical Sciences.

Current grants as PI:
• Regulation of intracellular complexes formed by dipeptide repeats from C9ORF72 mutation. CRP-ICGEB, 2020-2022; €45,000.
• N3-0141 Nuclear transport defects in frontotemporal dementia. Lead Agency: Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office / Slovenian Research Agency; 2020-2022; €109,275.
• J3-9263 Role of paraspeckle like nuclear bodies in pathogenesis of ALS and FTD. Slovenian Research Agency; 2018-2021; €300,000.
• J3-8201 Nuclear transport defects in neurodegenerative diseases. Slovenian Research Agency; 2017-2020; €300,000.